It’s been a while. I know. Ever since my lovely wife Khwantippa arrived in Belgium, I’ve haven’t had a lot of time to write my blog. Both because of living on cloud 9, and administrative duties. I apologise … koh tood khrab, dear reader. But with the dust settling, space for writing is opening up, albeit on-the-go. Let me tell you about the new world I have been living in, which I like to call #ThailandInBelgium. Even without any ties to Thailand, it can be an amazing and colorful place for you to visit from time to time. Allow me to tell you all about, along with future adventures we will be embarking upon.

Opening her luggage after her arrival, it was fairly apparent that some serious shopping needed to happen. Moving to Belgium, her fear of not having Thai food available had gotten the better of her. Pants, tops, socks and tees had gradually been sacrificed for fruit, vegetables, spices and traditional dance outfits. After dipping a toe in the water at Wijnegem shopping center last week, we decided to Antwerp city center when the first rays of sunshine were out. A colorful day of shopping in a refreshing way.

Last Saturday (31/03/2018) we attended the colorful opening of Samai Thai Take Away in Kontich. Owner’s Mai and Damiaan treated friends and family to a preview of the authentic Thai food they will be serving up in the outskirts of Antwerp. Authentic food demands authentic Thai dance, which is why my wife and her friends performed a few times as well. What did I do? Well, I mainly sampled the menu and gave it my blessing. For pictures of the Grand Opening, the blessing of the restaurant and details of the new eatery, just continue reading.

One of our favorite date night types in Thailand is visiting a hot pot restaurant. MK and Hot Pot Buffet are fine but if we have the choice, we always opt for an authentic Isaan-style hot pot eatery. Tonight we recreated such a meal at home, with fresh produce and a cheap electronic appliance. This is how we did it.

In my research towards Kuman Thong and Sak Yant tattoos, I came across Nam Man Phrai, a kind of magical oil. When I started looking into the Thai love and mind control spells, the oil was an essential ingredient once again. Obviously important in Thai black magic, I decided to take a deeper look. Its origin is even darker than I expected. Quite honestly, it sends shivers down my spine.

Finally, she has arrived. Last Saturday, Khwantippa safely arrived in Belgium. Having been apart for months, we’ve spent the weekend doing literally nothing, which was absolute bliss. Like we’ve never been apart, we have fallen into couples routine, starting with food. Breakfast might have the strangest spread for outsiders.

Today is my last day of instant noodles, working in my jammies till noon and going to the gym at night to see 3-dimensional people. It is the last day I live by myself and I’m excited! Tomorrow my lovely wife Khwantippa will finally join me, and not just for a few months. A new phase for the both of us. We’ll take you along on a colorful adventure, on the cusp of two cultures.

Conscious or not, prolonged exposure to anything will influence a person. Whether dramatic (like radiation) or just slightly worrying (like Ed Sheeran), the impact cannot be denied. Over the past years I have been significantly exposed to Thai culture. Cooking up dinner, I just realized how profound this impact has become. But you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Is it just my perception or is the fake news phenomenon not slowing down at all? When Facebook announced that it would weed out false reporting I was hopeful it would come to an end. Instead, the frequency of misleading sponsored posts on my timeline has increased and the phenomenon is getting deeper ingrained into our journalistic and even scientific culture. Let me tell you how.

‘Three servings of Somtam with fermented crab, extra spicy’. When I heard the couple next to me order spicy papaya salad with their ice coffees, I knew I had to stick around. ‘Maybe you could try one portion first?’. The friendly waiter really wanted to ease them into Isan cuisine, but there was no stopping these weekend warriors out for an authentic adventure. Last Saturday, I paid a visit to Siam Senses in Antwerp.